Method of packaging



Jan. 5; 1932. I s. PRINCE METHOD OF PACKAGING Filed March 27, 1930 ATTOR Patented Jan. 5, 1932 PATENT OFFICE SEYMOUR PRINCE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK METHOD OF PACKAGING Application Bled March 27, 1930. Serial No. 439,504.

My invention relates to methods of packaging food products and especially dried fruit or mixtures of fruit, nuts, candies, etc. for sale in individual prepared packages of specified quantities.

The object of my invention is to provide a food package which will expose the contents to view without uncovering same or removing any part of the wrapper; a further object is `to provide a package from which the food particles may be readily extracted without destroying the wrapper; also my object is to provide a package which is well adapted for assembling a number of such individual packages in a container with little loss of space and so that the contents of the individual packages may be readily seen when the container is opened 'for display.

In carrying my invention into effect I produce a package triangular in shape with the front and sides made of a single piece of transparent paper, and the back of stiff paper or cardboard to which the transparent paper is pasted. The articles contained in such wrapper will be exposed to view at the front and three sides of the package, thus displaying practically the entire contents.

In the preferred form of my im roved package, the transparent paper is so affixed to the backing sheet that the three sides and two corners will be sealed, while at the third corner the paper will overlap and project beyond the corner or apex of the backing sheet, and this projecting portion of the transparent paper is preferably twisted to close this corner of the package, which form of closure at that point provides a more attractive finish to the package. This twisted part of the transparent paper also serves the purpose of an outlet for the contents of the package. Thus byv untwisting the paper a small opening is provided through which the small particles contained in the package may be readily discharged and the opemng sealed again to prevent unintentional discharge by simpl re-twisting the transparent paper.

In fbrming the package in accordance with my method, I first provide a sheet of transparent paper of a shape adapted to ft over the backing sheet without subsequent trimming. Upon this sheet of transparent paper I deposit the articles to be enclosed, such for instance as raisins, shelled nuts, candies, or mixtures thereof, and upon these articles is laid the backing sheet, triangular in shape, 5:, and then the transparent paper is folded over the edge of the backing sheet and pasted thereto along the three sides of the backing sheet with the paper folded over at two of the corners so as to overlap and produce a cu perfect closure at those points. The transparent paper at the third corner or apex of the triangular package will not be folded over .as at the other corners, and therefore the overlapping edges will project beyond the c5 apex and this end as above stated is then twisted to close the opening and give a finished appearance to the package. In practice these operations in the formation of the package will be performed with the aid of a n. suitable mould in which the transparent paper will be laid and the articles placed thereon; the depth of the mould determining .the thickness of the package.

My improved package and the method of 7:. forming it are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a front or plan view of a complete individual package; Figure 2 aside or edge view; Figure 3 a rear plan view; Figure 4 a-plan view of a sheet of so transparent paper forming part of the wrapper; Figure 5 a plan view of the heavy paper or card-board backing sheet; Figure 6 a plan view of a type of mould that may be employed in practicing my method showing sa the first two steps in the making of a package; Figure 7 a longitudinal vertical section on line 7-7 of Figure 6; and Figure 8 a plan view of the mould after the last step in the formation of the package.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures l to 5, the package A is shown filled with small particles B visible through the transparent paper 1 which is folded over and pasted to the back of a stiff 95 paper or card-board backing sheet 2, and the overlapping projecting end of paper 1 at the apex of the package is twisted as shown at 3 to seal the package at that end. To discharge the contents of the package, end 3 is un- 100 twisted, affording a sufliciently wide opening for the passage of articles I5, and when the desired quantity has beendischarged, the end 3 is closed again by re-twistiiig the paper 1.

'llie transparent. paper sheet 1 is preferably vut to shape as shown in Figure 4, and the backing sheet 2 preferably has two rounded corners and is cut away at the apex as shown at 4 in Figure 5. The shaping of paper 1 and backing sheet 2 facilitates the folding of the pa r l over the backing sheet 2, and permits o a neater finish at the back of the package and avoids trimming after sheet 1 is folded over the backing sheet. Shaping both sheets at `lhe apex facilitates the twisting and produces a better finish at 3, as will be evident by reference to Figures 3 and 8 of the drawings. The size of the backing sheet 2 relativeto transparent sheet 1 is shown by the dotted lines in Figure 4. Then the transparent sheet with articles B thereon is pressed into the mould cavity in forming the package, angles 5 of sheet l are drawn close to corners 6 of the backing sheet, but protrude slightly above the backing sheet at those corners, while edges 7 of sheet 1 protrude a greater distance above the backing sheet to afl'ord a sufficient overlap for pasting to the backing sheet. In folding the aper 1 over the edges of the backing sheet t e edges forming angles 5 will abut, as shown in Figure 3, or nearly so, and the edge which slightly protruded above th'e corner 6 of the backing sheet will be folded or flattened down as indicated at 8 in Figure 3.

The method of forming the package is shown in Figures 6 to 8 of the drawings. In these illustrations, 9 represents the body of a mould of any desired de th, the mould cavity having the desired triangular shape, and preferably rounded at the three corners 10 and also rounded at the bottom as shown at 11 in Figures 6 and 7. Upon this mould a sheet of transparent paper 1 is laid as shown in Figure 6, and u ion that sheet articles B are deposited. Bac ing sheet 2, which is previously given a coating of paste along the three edges at the back, is then placed in position over articles B and pressure applied thereto and thereby forcing transparent sheet l and articles B into the mould cavity until the ba cking sheet rests on the mould body as shown in Figure 7. It will be observed by reference to Figures 6 and 7, that. as sheet 1 is pressed into the mould cavity, the edges 7 will be drawn upward, see Figure 7, and consequently anrles 5 will be drawn close to corners 6 of the acking sheet. Edges 7 are now folded over and pressed down upon the pastey coated back of the backing sheetby hinged folders 12, 13 and 14 as shown in Figurel 8. The movement of the folders may he simultaneous, but I prefer to have the folding action progressive, 1n the order stated. This movement of the folders allows the overlapped edges at the apex to protrude from the mould The folders 12, 13 and 14 are then turned back to the position of Figures 6 and 7 and the package is removed from the mould cavity by grasping the projecting end of sheet 1 at the apex. The sealing of the package is then completed by twisting the paper at the apex, and the package will now appear as shown in Figures 1 t0 3. The size of the openinfr at the apex of the iackage will be determined by cnt 4 of the backing sheet. If more or less of the apex. is cut away, thereby increasing or decreasing the length of edge 4, the opening when the paper at 3 is uiitwisted will beinereased or decreased. l

While I prefer that my improved package shall be triangular in shape, it will be understood that other shapes may be employed without departing from the spirit of my invention, the main feature of which is the relatively flat package closed on all sides and transparent at the front and sides so that practically the entire contents will be exposed to view in a sealed package.

I am aware that articles of food, candies, etc., have been enclosed in transparent wrappers, but in such cases either the article was of definite form to which the wrapper was readily applied, or the wrapper was in the form of a bag or other made up container into which the articles were fed and sealed. But these forms are not satisfactory for all purposes and especially with small articles of food like raisins, nuts, etc., irregular and dissimilar in form that cannot be readily formed into a mass for packing and wrapping, or readily measured and fed into a small container of flat form and self sustaining as to shape.

What I claim is:

The method ofV producing food packages of the character herein described, consisting in placing a sheet of transparent paper over a triangular shaped mould, depositing the food articles upon said paper, placin a triangular shaped backing sheet over said articles, applying pressure to said backing sheet to press the transparent paper and food articles deposited thereon into the mould cavity, then folding tlie transparent paper over the three edges and two of the corners of said backing sheet, cementing the folds theret0, and twisting the folds at the third corner.

This specifica-tion signed at New York city, in the county and State. of New York, this 24th day of March, 1930.

y SEYMOUR PRINCE. 

